Are you a small business owner but facing challenges with limited business resources? American Express offers multiple support programs and marketing tools for small businesses and startups to advance their entrepreneurial dreams. Running and operating a small business means managing almost every task yourself or with limited staff members. And if it’s a family business, the responsibilities are shared within different family members.

We know you dream of growing big and expanding your business in the upcoming days. Therefore, American Express small business resources help you take your new venture to the next level and stay ahead of the competition.

Taking ownership of a new company is rewarding and fulfilling in itself. However, you need a strong team to manage all the day-to-day business operations efficiently, such as handling unexpected expenses, leveraging varying skill sets, meeting customer demands and expectations, and many more. These resources will save you time and money and help you expand your business to broader marketplaces.

Resources of Small Business Owners

The good news is that small business owners and solopreneurs can gain access to many free or pocket-friendly marketing tools. Small business owners need to look for them at the right place and take full advantage of them. Besides, multiple government agencies and business sites can help you find the best tools and resources based on your industry and business goals.

If you plan a new venture, the following resources may help you gain a stronger foothold to kickstart your business.

• The US Census Bureau offers valuable information on your target country’s demographics. It will help determine the market’s needs, demands, and buying patterns. This way, you can learn whether a particular location is appropriate for establishing a brick-and-mortar store for your industry.
• The IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center provides numerous answers to general queries from diverse business owners. The portal discusses crucial topics, such as hiring the right personnel, choosing the best business model and structure, filing and paying taxes according to the protocols, determining the right record-keeping needs, etc. This website also provides multiple workshops, webinars, and online learning programs, which can boost the knowledge base of new entrepreneurs.
• The US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics provides beneficial insights and projections about a particular region or country’s inflation, economy, wages, and employment status. The site also offers handy publications to help entrepreneurs stay updated on recent labor trends.
• We have another rich resource for new business owners – the US Small Business Administration (SBA). The portal is designed for new and seasoned entrepreneurs seeking operational and financial support. The SBA provides free and affordable local business counseling programs, instructions on contracting with the US government, important pointers for applying for small business and disaster loans, and many more. Furthermore, the site includes vital insights into how to write appropriate business plans, apply for licenses, set up business credit, manage staff, and expand your business. If you are a woman entrepreneur, take advantage of SBA’s video courses and online learning materials designed for businesswomen. There are also unique learning materials for military members who wish to transition to business.
• The Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE, is a robust network of business mentors and industry leaders with years of expertise and a vast knowledge base. Be a part of this community to learn and grow your business. The association will also help you find the right local business mentor. You can kickstart your business by learning from diverse resources, materials, and online video classes. You can attend low-cost webinars, local workshops, and on-demand online courses to learn the right way to establish a new venture.

Online Courses and Local Networking Resources for Small Businesses

Do you know that the regular tools and apps you use daily can also be powerful resources for your business? For example, social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, etc., can help potential customers discover your business and your unique products and services. Moreover, you can reach multiple consumers organically, without spending a penny, if you know how to implement the right marketing techniques.

Newbie entrepreneurs often attempt to stay undercover within a hill of responsibilities and records to keep track of. However, to explore new opportunities and boost fruitful business relationships, you should expand your horizons and look beyond mere business transactions. The following sites may give you the moral support and the much-needed push to expand your business while helping you thrive as an active local community member.

• Online meeting tools and networking resources like Meetup can help you join a community and form groups of like-minded people dedicated to standard and special interests. You can create and promote your events to expand and scale your business. These networking tools can help you strengthen your industry connections while advertising your offerings. Moreover, you can organize micro-meetings and gatherings in your locality to connect with your peers more effectively.
• The US Chamber of Commerce is a business organization housing members like chambers of commerce and small businesses. The organization has numerous local chapters from across the globe, which provide entrepreneurs with beautiful opportunities to build a strong network with their specific community. Small business owners can learn diverse skills and gain knowledge from the expertise of government officials and business leaders through this online platform. You can also review articles on your industry’s best practices from knowledgeable SMB owners and industry leaders.
• LinkedIn for Small Business is another excellent tool for SMBs, as it helps them create a page to showcase their offerings and promote their brand. LinkedIn is a powerful platform for finding potential clients and interacting with diverse professional networks. You can join business-related LinkedIn groups and connect with industry leaders, other enterprises, and consumers through multiple virtual events and live video sessions.
• MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are public educational courses that offer free video content on diverse subjects and topics. These educational subjects include finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, business management, marketing, computer programming, creative arts, etc. Learning different skills and gaining knowledge from these topics will help small businesses immensely, making MOOCs great resources for SMBs. Many learning platforms, such as Udacity, Coursera, Canvas Network, and edX, educate business owners on these topics by partnering with prestigious universities like Harvard and Stanford. Some of these free courses offer networking opportunities to help learners boost business growth. However, certification courses require a fee, which is worth investing in exchange for the valuable learnings and knowledge base you are getting.

American Express Small Business Resources

You can order your free marketing materials offered by American Express, specifically designed for small businesses. Let’s discuss these offerings in detail.

1.    Signage

You can now welcome your customers in your online and offline store with the unique signage offered by Amex for free. Five artists designed these for small businesses. The sole inspiration behind creating signage is the arthritis’s perspective on the role of community and inclusivity. Amex has partnered with these artists to create its Artists Series, which includes the following.

• Small Window Cling: This is a small window cling with a welcome message that you can display on your store’s double-sided window to welcome new and returning customers. With this uniquely designed signage, you can celebrate diversity. Place it on your door or front window or anywhere else where it will be visible, and your customers will feel your warm welcome.
• Mega Window Cling: This signage can help create a prominent and impressive statement for your business. Through this artwork, you can promote inclusivity and welcome your customers. You can place this large storefront Mega Window Cling on your front door, window, or anywhere else for your buyers to see.
• Open/Closed Signs: You can hang this signage on the front door of your store or window to help visitors see when you are available. It will help them know your official working hours so they can plan their purchases. For easy hanging, these signs have a hook and suction cup.
• Printable and Digital Toolkit: You can get this digital toolkit designed by American Express to show you are there for your community and give back to them for their support throughout the year. This printable toolkit includes digital badges, printable posters, and social posts. You can display or download them to showcase them in your online and offline marketing channels, where your followers and potential clients can see them.

2.    Educational Resources

American Express provides multiple educational resources for entrepreneurs to help them explore different tools, get marketing tips, and stay updated on the big trends. These resources are packaged in convenient sizes to help business owners learn them efficiently by taking one step at a time. These learning materials will also help merchants reach new markets and resonate or connect with customers.

You can access various downloadable tools and resources, such as eBooks, checklists, infographics, and real-time insights. They cover diverse subjects, such as –

• How to accept and manage automated payments
• Tips on embracing digital payments
• How contactless payments can benefit your business
• Different marketing tactics to thrive in the upcoming years
• How to use social media to boost your small business growth
• How to streamline your payments

3.    Small Business Grant Program

American Express has partnered with Main Street America to provide grants to US small business owners and startups who are economically vulnerable and under-resourced. These grants can help these small businesses grow and achieve long-term success.

Usually, a local, state, federal, or national government disburses these grants to an individual, business, or corporation. However, private corporations or enterprises may also distribute financial grants to deserving entrepreneurs or individuals, such as during a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants do not involve any repayments, so they can help small businesses grow and expand their new venture, mainly when they have limited financial resources. These grants are available for small business owners, such as women entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities, young entrepreneurs, disabled Americans, businesses with good community reach, etc.

Many entrepreneurs seek small business loans or credit lines to fund their startup costs and business operations. However, business grants are a better option than traditional loans and lines of credit. That’s because these grants are free function options that can help you immensely by boosting business growth. You don’t have to worry about repayments. However, before applying, you should check whether you meet all the eligibility criteria.

Eligible business owners can apply for $10,000 grants for specific projects to grow and build their businesses firmly. These grants can help merchants build a robust community, bring about positive change, and support their economic stature. This Backing Small Businesses grant program is Amex’s initiative to provide essential resources and financial support to independent business owners and entrepreneurs serving their communities.

These grants are provided to small businesses that can build a good community reach. SMBs with community reach play a crucial role in supporting and giving back to the community by serving its ability- and cultural-specific needs. As a result, these businesses work on good principles and values and are, therefore, long-standing. In other words, they obtain the status of legacy with which the neighborhood identifies itself, thus offering a sense of continuity and support for each other.

By supporting a specific cultural group, businesses with community reach have the noble intention of developing a robust business model and core values. These values motivate these business owners to address an acute community need. Some examples of their noble acts include providing freebies or low-cost goods and services to serve a community base or hosting free concerts that feature local artists.

Who is Eligible for Small Business Grants?

Businesses meeting the following criteria are eligible to apply for small business grants offered by American Express.

• The applicant must be a business owner.
• The business should be independent. An enterprise that is part of any brand’s franchise is not eligible to apply.
• The applicant must be at least 18 years of age or above.
• The applicant should be the owner of a business situated in a proper “bricks-and-mortar location”. The store should operate within a historic or older main street, a commercial distort, or downtown in the United States. It means that home-based businesses are not eligible for these small business grants, even if located in one of the historic neighborhoods in the US. Similarly, businesses with brick-and-mortar locations outside these commercial locations and historic downtown, such as shopping malls and office parks, are also not eligible for this program.
• The business should have occupied its offline store location since January 1, 2024.
• The business must hire full-time employees of 20 or less.
• The business should have been operating since January 1, 2023.
• If required, the business should have an active license from the local or state government. Applicants may select this option, provided they can produce the necessary documents as proof of their business license.
• The business entity should have a good standing in the locality or state where it was established and in the place of its business operations.

What are the Eligible Grant Expenses?

The eligible grant expenses of these American Express Small Business Grants include (but are not limited to) the following.

• Inventory and equipment (such as POS devices or software, display cases, investing in saleable items and stock, raw materials, etc.)
• Accessibility upgrades (menu translation, ramp, accessible website upgrade or redesign for people with vision impairment, etc.)
• Hosting community programs and events (public education workshops, open mic nights, organizing community fundraisers, partnerships with local businesses, etc.)
• Operational strategy (accounting applications, branding packages, business coaching, etc.)
• Marketing (building a website, developing social media campaigns, etc.)
• Sustainability upgrades (installing solar panels to create one’s own energy and save power for the community’s benefit, creating recyclable or compostable packaging, establishing a rain garden adjacent to the business location, etc.)
• Physical improvements (painting facade, signage, new shelving, awnings, new lighting, etc.)
• Technology upgrades (investing in an online ordering system, building an online marketplace, etc.)
• Utilities (this should not be beyond 20% or $2,000 of the requested capital).

Also, business wonders should remember that payroll expenses are not included in these small business grants.

Shop Small with American Express

Another excellent initiative by Amex is the ‘Shop Small with American Express’. Customers who use Amex cards to make payments for their purchases at small business retail outlets will get reward points. It encourages more customers to support small and local businesses struggling to grow their businesses with limited resources. Cardholders can get these rewards as points, cashback, or miles, which they can redeem on their next purchases or ticket bookings.

Key Takeaways

Take advantage of the above resources American Express offers and achieve greater heights. Your small business should not stay ‘small’ for a long time – you deserve to gain access to the best resources to explore new growth opportunities. You deserve to be a successful business owner, so dream big with American Express!